Chicago Wedding String Quartet

Spring is such a hopeful time of year. Trees and flowers are beginning to bud; the grass is turning a darker shade of green; a renewed sense of optimism lingers in the air. What a wonderful season to get married! Couples who choose spring for their wedding may not be able to plan an outdoor ceremony, but if you’ve got a gorgeous indoor venue like the Newberry Library, who cares?

Narrowing down the perfect reception venue can be tricky, but Brittany and Justin totally nailed it with the Grainger Ballroom. Brittany, an accomplished harpist, felt right at home at Symphony Center, where the Chicago Symphony Orchestra performs. And her guests were completely enthralled.

With the arrival of cold weather, we find ourselves reminiscing of warmer days. In May, when the sunlight was just beginning to filter through the leaves and warm the spring air, Justine and Brad were married at the elegant Meson Sabika. May already seems far in the past, and these wedding photos from Hazelton Photography feel like a dream.

Every romantic wedding starts with a proposal, right? This private moment of surprise, bliss, and joy is generally something we only hear about after-the-fact.

A few months ago, we helped to create a magical moment that this couple will remember for the rest of their lives. Reid had the wonderful idea to propose to his girlfriend, Chelsi, in a beautiful park. He knew he wanted something special for his love, so he contacted Quartet Parapluie to see if we could add some additional romance.

Wow. After performing for hundreds of wedding ceremonies over the span of fifteen years, Quartet Parapluie has never had the honor of playing for a Vow Renewal service. Thanks to Dawn and Chris, who renewed their vows on their 20th anniversary (wow again!), our track record is finally broken. We can’t tell you how fun it is to be part of such a happy event — the perfect reminder to celebrate the good things in life and surround yourself with your nearest and dearest. Just look at the love and happiness on everyone’s faces!

Nothing says classic like a wedding at the Drake Hotel. Opened in 1920, this landmark hotel set the standard for opulence and elegance — in the roaring twenties and today. It goes without saying that the Drake is an iconic hotel in Chicago, hosting everyone from Hollywood celebrities to British Royals. So, it makes sense then, that so many couples jump at the chance to get married here. Quartet Parapluie had the great honor of performing for Me’Chele and Sean’s wedding ceremony this June, and it was simply divine.

We love playing classical music. After all, we’re classically-trained musicians. But, it’s real fun to step outside of our world occasionally. And most of us in Quartet Parapluie have stepped out of our classical boxes quite a bit over the years, having toured and performed with rock groups extensively. Continue reading →

Last week, Quartet Parapluie was honored to play a role in the Luminarts Cultural Foundation’s annual fundraising gala at the Union League Club of Chicago. Luminarts Brilliance: A Feast for the Senses was an evening designed to entertain, and of course raise funds!

We were humbled to share the stage with Luminarts Fellows, including soprano Tracy Cantin, tenor Jesse Donner, mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges, trumpeter Marquis Hill (winner of the Thelonius Monk International Jazz competition), violinist Jung Tsai, pianist Chen Sehn-Fan, alto-saxaphonist Natalie Lande, and drummer Robert Dicke, who showcased the evening of entertainment. And our hats go off to the host of the evening, Frank DeVincentis, and his fellow auctioneer, Emily Betts Susanin! Job well done, people!!

The best part of the evening is knowing that our performance helped to raise funds for an incredible organization, one that supports something very near and dear to us: art and culture!

As the 2016 wedding season kicks off, we find ourselves reminiscing back to previous weddings. Each event that we perform holds a special place in our hearts, but performing for Jen and Heath’s wedding reception at Sepia Restaurant in Chicago really stands out in our memories.